Machine for brushing and cleaning plates



April 6, 1948. w. c. JOHNSON MACHINE FOR BRUSHING ANDv CLEANING PLATES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 22,- 1944 a Flw m M m m e w a w w m A q i a m m. v m L; N\ n 9 0L #0 j q ,Tll mm 8 R 3 m o Q Q Q Q MN w 1 km J NEH Nw R. 4W1 w Q N hw April 6, 1948. w. c. JOHNSON MACHINE FOR BRUSHING AND CLEANING PLATES Filed June 22,1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmmwm$mww Mm INVENTOR M4409! C. do

HIV .50 BY r ATTQRNEY April 6, 1948. w. c. JOHNSON MACHINE FOR BRUSHING AND CLEANING PLATES Fileq June 22,1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR M44191 6 wmm u BY W I I A'TJTOR FY 3 Patented Apr. 6, 1948 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR BRUSHING AND CLEANING PLATES William C. Johnson, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Pfister and Vogal Tanning Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 22, 1944, Serial No. 541,564

3 Claims. (CI. 15-77) 1 2 This invention relates to a machine for brushp v control so a to insure ct v ush ing and cleaning plates and is especially designed of both Surfaces f the P and adapted for removing the paste or adhesive Another and important Object of the invention from pasting plates utilized in tanneris in t is to provide a machine of this character wherein promss of manufactu in th 5 the portions of the brushes engageable with the In tanneries, skins in a wet, pliable condition pp sit sur a s o t p a move in t di are laid upon one surface of the so-called pasting tion pp t t in Which the p t are O plates, after paste or adhesive has previously been s so as to efiect a highly efficient brushing and applied to a surface of each skin and the skins Cleansing action then are stretched and smoothed out on the plates These objects of the invention and other so that after the stretching and smoothing operaa y advantages are attained by the mechation the skins adhere to th lat i t t d nism, construction, and arrangement illustrated condition. in the accompanying drawings forming part The next step in the process is to convey the hereof, in which: plates through a, drier so as t dry th skins At Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation the exit end of the drier the skins are peeled oiT lustretins a portion of a pasting p t cleaning the plates, but the surfaces of the plates to which and brushing machine embodying t pr s nt i the skins have been pasted still retain some of the v n i h. the casin of the m hi b in r ved paste or adhesive. To condition the plates for to illustrate the interior mechanism; repeated use this adhering paste or adhesive must 2 is a fragmentary Vi w p r y in section be removed. taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 and partly in top plan Th object of t present, invention is t profurther illustrating the machine shown in Fig. l vide a machine which rapidly and efiiciently reand with the casing only iagrammatically r p moves the adhering particles of the paste or ad- Sell-ted; hesive from the surfaces of the plates and hi h Fig. 3 is a view in horizontal cross section taken accomplishes this while returning the plates to On line 3-3 of Fi 1 and looki in the d rection the work room or plate at which the skins are of the arrows; pasted to and stretched on the plates. Fig. 4 is a view in transverse vertical cross sec- Another object of the invention is to provide tiOn tak n on ine 4 f F 1 an o i in t e a machine of this character which, While highly direction of the arrows; and efiicient and speedy in operation, requires only the Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view in top plan showuse of two vertical brushes and is further so coning a practical working layout of the working structed and organized that the plates are positables for the pasting plates, the drier, the brush tively fed through the brushes and also through ing and cleaning machine embodying the present the wipers which are combined with the machine invention, and the connecting trolleys along for wiping the plates dry after the paste or adwhich the plates travel. hesive has been removed from the surfaces Referring to the drawings and more particuthereof. larly to Fig. 5 the numeral lii'designates the work A further object of the invention is to provide tables on which the pasting plates II are laid fiata machine having these capacities and advanwise, The skins or hides, after being de-haired, tages and in which provision is made for facili- 40 and de-fleshed and tanned, and while in a soft, tating the control of the positive feeding means wet pliable condition, are laid upon the pasting over the plates having regard, particularly, to the plates l I, the surfaces of the skins having previlarger thickness of the framing or border of the ously been coated with adhesive or paste. Therenlates w h l n t h thickness f the plates after the skins are stretched and smoothed out on p p the plates, and during this process they adhere to A Still further Object of t inv ntion is t the plates. When this operation has been comsimplify the power unit utilized for the purpose pleted th plates II with the skins attached of rotating the brushes and for driving the feed thereto are ready for the drier.

rolls and also to simplify, compact and adapt the 0 Each pasting plate I I consists of a rectangular motion transmission means employed between the board-like structure of suitable composition or power unit, the brushes and the feed rolls. other material, bounded by a metallic channel- Another object is to provide a machine of this like frame l2 which is suitably reinforced at its character wherein the brushes are adjustable corners as indicated at 13. Attaching clips l4 toward and away from each other and this under are suitably secured to the reinforced upper cor- 3 ners of the plates H. The attaching clips [4 are suspended by hangers l5 equipped with double flanged supporting rollers Hi from a mono-rail IT. The attaching clips [4, hangers l5 and rollers it constitute trolleys.

The mono-rail extends from one side of the working tables Iii through the drier D, then back through the machine embodying the present invention, and finally back to the opposite side of the working tables. The mono-rail ll is branched or doubled through the drier and for this purpose suitable switching arrangements iii are provided. These switching arrangements per so are no part of the present invention and will not be described in detail. 7

The cleaning and brushing machine embodying the present invention includes a suitable housing 223. Within the housing an appropriate main frame or supporting structure is provided and is inclusive of a suitable base which may be constituted of heavy angle irons 2! supporting vertical angle irons 22 which'are cross connected by angle irons t3 and longitudinally connected by supporting and adjusting arms 4! and 42 are carried at the lower and upper ends respectively of supporting shafts M. These shafts are mounted for free turning movement in bearings and 46 in which the lower and upper ends of the shafts Ml are mounted, the bearings 45 and 48 being in turn supported in bearing brackets 47 and 41', carried by structural units of the main frame of the machine.

Means is combined with the upper brush sup porting and adjusting arms :33 to move these arms tows-re and away from each other and to maintain themin any selected adjustment for the purpose of bringing the brushes toward and away from the surfaces of the pasting plates H to be brushed.

In carrying out this object each brush supporting and adjusting arm 43 is enlarged, both versuitable frame members 24. Of course, the frame may be fabricated in any suitable way from metallic structural hints of appropriate dimension and cross section.

At the entrance end of the cleaning and brushing machine spray pipes 25 and 28 are provided.

cleaning fluid issuing therefrom will trickle down the surface of the plates Ii and moisten these urfacesanc the particles of paste or adhesive remaining thereon.

After the plates I I have been thoroughly moistened with the cleaning fluid they are subjected to 'a vigorous brushing amen. This is accomplished by providing a pair of vertically disposed brushes designated at 38; andfil, the brushes being on the opposite sides of the plates and having the bristles which engage with the plates movable in a direction opposite to the direction of the travel of the plates, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the brushing action.

The pasting plates H travel one behind the other along the mono-rail in tandem relation, and after being manually pushed into the ma chine, come under the control of a pair of feed rollers 32 and 33. These feed rollers are located in advance of the brushes 3!] and 31 and posi tively feed the plates I! therethrough. Toward the exit end of the machine a second pair of feed rollers designated at 34 and 35 are provided and these propel the plates through'the wipers designated generally at as and out along the mono-rail back toward the work tables ID.

The brushes $9 and 3! are of identical construction and are similarly SupI Qrted. Each includes a vertical operating shaft '3! to which the cylindrical body 38 of each brush is secured, the body 38 carrying the bristles 39 of its brush. The lower end of each shaft '37 projects downwardly beyond the body of its brush and its bristles,-as illustrated to advantage in Fig. 1. The lower end of each shaft '33 is rotatably supported in the bearing as provided at the outer end of a lower swingable brush supporting and adjusting arm ll. Similarly the upper end of the shaft 3'5 projects well above the upper end of the brush body and its bristles and is rotatably supported in bearing 32 carried by an upper swingable brush supporting and adjusting arm B3. The brush tically and horizontally as indicated at 3 in Figs. 1 and 2, and the enlarged portions are provided with transversely aligned openings 43. The cross section of these openings 43 is illustrated in Fig. '2 and as showrrthey flare or curve outwardly from their central portions to their ends. An adjusting shaft is is provided for each swingable brush supporting and adjusting arm 43. These adjusting shafts 49 have threaded portions 58 threadedly engaged with internally threaded bearings 5! provided on the main frame and have smooth or unthreaded portions 52 extended through the openings 43 of the swingable brush supporting and adjusting arms. The portions of the shafts ts which extend through the specially shaped internal openings of the brush supporting and adjusting arr'ns 4% have the appropriate rolling or rocking relative engagement with the internal curved peripheral walls thereof. Each shaft 49 is provided ph the opposite sides of its brush supporting and adjusting arm with a collar 53 which may be pinned or otherwise suit= ably fixed thereto so that any axial movement of either adjusting shaft $9 is translated into a swinging movement of its associated brush supporting and adjusting arm and this positively. To facilitate the turning of each of the shafts '59 ahead wheel as is fixed tome outer end thereof.

The present invention also proposes to utilize a single motor, preferably an electric motor, for

rotating the ru es st and f3! and driving the {feed rolls 32, it 3d andtt. To this end anelectricmotor 55 is rotatably secured 'to a superstruc tur'e 5E erected on th'e'top of the rnaih frame of the machine. The armature shaft of the elecrm meter acts through belt and uuey e r ing '5"? to 'drive a countershaft 58 'rotatably'sup ported in bearings as, one of whichmay' be cone veniently mounted on the superstructure 56 and the other which may be mounted on one of the elements of the mam frame as shq'wn tb "advantags in Fig, 4. The countershaft 58 "extends transversely of the machine and is located ad jaceht to the advance side of the'dri've shaftse'l oi the brushes 3% and 3i. p

Motion is transmitted from the counters hait E8 to the brush shafts 31 through individual sets or helical gearing designated at 60 and BI. These sets of helical gearing are of identical constructi'on and each includes a driving pinion '62 fixed to thECOlllltrsha'ft-W ahd meshing with a ClliV- eh neiical gear '63 "fiXed t0 the u per end portioh of its brush shaft 31. The contour or the intermeshihg surfaces of 'the driving pinions'and driven helical gears is such as to provide fb'r effective transmission of the drive from metatatershaft '58 to the brush shafts 31 at all times and brush supporting and adjusting arms 43.

The feed rolls 32, 33, 34 and 35 are all driven from the countershaft 58 and this in a special manner, and further, they are so driven and supported that they impart a positive feeding drive to the pasting plates l l with regard to variances in the thicknesses of the borders or of other portions of the plates. V

The feed rollers 32 and 33 are fixed to short axles or shafts 35 rotatably supported in bearing openings provided. therefor in the outer ends of the upper and lower swingable arms 66 interconnected at their opposite ends by bearing hubs B6 rotatably supported on the lower end portion of vertical shafts 61. Each shaft 6! is supported for rotation though held against vertical movement in bearings 68 provided therefor on the main frame of the machine. 1

The shafts .61 are driven fromthe countershaft 58 by means of helical gearing including a helicalgear l0 fixed to each shaft 51 and meshing with a driving pinion H fixed to the countershaft 58. As shown in Fig. 2 the driving pinions H for the feed roll drive shaft 81 are positioned outwardly with respect to the driving pinions 62 of this countersha'ft which take part in the drive of the brush shafts 31.

The driven helical gears 11] for the feed rolls 32 and 33 are fixed to their shafts 61 adjacent to, but spaced slidably downwardly, from the upper end of such shafts. The lower end of each shaft 31 has a driving spur gear pinion l2 fixed thereto. This driving pinion 12 meshes with an intermediate idler spur gear pinion T3 rotatably mounted on the arms 66 and in turn meshes with a driven spur gear 14 fixed to its feed roller shaft 65. With such a gear train the feed rollers 32 and 33 have their peripheral portions which engage the pasting plates ll moving in the same direction as the direction of travel of the pasting plates and so advance the pasting plates II with which they are engageable to and through the brushes and 3!.

The feed rollers 32 and 33 are resiliently forced or pressed toward each other and into consequent driving engagement with the opposite sides of the pasting plates II. For this purpose a retractile coil spring 15 is combined with the swingable supporting arms 66 of each of the feed rollers 32 and 33. One end of each such spring is connected to one of the arms 66. The opposite end of each spring is attached or anchored to a suitable abutment or spring anchoragesuch as an angle iron 11 suitably interconnected with structural elements of the main frame.

The power drive for the second set of feed rollers 34 and 35 may be advantageously taken from the shafts 61 and transmitted to the feed rollers 34 and 35 in such a way that these feed rollers 34 and 35 may also be spring pressed into driving engagement with the pasting plates H.

To accomplish this a beveled driving gear 80 may be fixed to the upper end of each shaft 61. Each beveled driving gear 89 meshes with a driven beveled driving gear 8| fixed to one end of an elongated shaft 82. Each shaft 82 is rotatably mounted adjacent its beveled gear 8| in a bearing 83 rotatably supported on the upper end of its shaft 61. The opposite end of each shaft 82 is rotatably supported in a bearing 84 mounted on a shiftable saddle or hearing block 85. Thrust collars;88 pinned to each shaft 82 andengageable with the ends of its bearing 84 prevent endwise or axial movement of the shaft 82..

Each saddle or slide block 85 is supported for swinging or arcuate movement on a bearing Dad 81 mounted on the main frame of the machine. The saddles 85 are provided with arcuate slots 88. Bolts and nuts 89 extend through these slots and through bolt holes in the bearing pads 81 to constrain the saddles 85, the bearings 84 and the shafts 82 to limited swinging movement toward and away from each other.

Beyond each bearing 84 each shaft 82 has a beveled drive pinion 99 fixed thereto and meshing with a driven beveled gear 9| secured to the upper end of a feed roll driving shaft 92. Each feed roll driving shaft is rotatably mounted in vertical sleeve bearings 93 rigidly attached to or integral with its saddle or slide block 85. A retractile coil spring 89' has its ends suitably attached tothe bearings 84 and functions to pull these bearings 84, and shafts 82 and the pinions 99 toward each other. The pinions may roll about the beveled driven gears 9| but the bearings 84, when moving toward each other, carry with them the saddles 85 and the bearings 93 for the shafts 92 so that as a consequence the feed rollers 34 are yieldably. forcedinto engagement with the pasting plates.

With a machine constructed and operating in the manner heretofore described the surfaces of the pasting plates are thoroughly and speedily cleansed. The effective action of the machine is attributed to the manner of mounting and rotating the brushes with relation to the movement of the plates and to the way in which the plates are fed or moved through the field of action of the brushes. The brushes are positively driven and are subject to manual control, as to their position, in respect to the surfaces of the plates on which they act. The feed rollers are also positively driven but are yieldably urged or pressed into feeding engagement with the plates so as to drivethem through the brushes without impairing the surface characteristics of the plates. In this respect the construction of the feed rollers is of importance in that they are equipped with tires or suitable bands or hoops which surround the rim of the roller and have appropriate resiliency, and capacity ,for frictional driving contact. The drive for the brushes and feed rolls has also been compacted and simplified in that a single motor serves both the brushes and the feed rolls and in that the drive lines or motion transmission means between the motor, the brushes, and the feed rolls is designed and adapted not only to transmit the requisite torque but also to have the capacity to allow for the adjustment of the brushes and for the yielding pressure application of both the advance and exit feed rollers.

While I have shown and described one construction in which the invention may be advantageously embodied, it is to be understood that the construction shown has been selected merely for the purpose of illustration or example, and that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for cleaning plates simultaneously on opposite sides thereof including a pair of oppositely related rotary brushes positioned to engage a plate on opposite sides thereof as it passes :therebetween, means for adjuet'ala'ly mounting each of said brushes comprising brush su porting and adjusting arms in one "end of which-a brusnis rotatebly rnounted, said arms at their other ends being carried by a pivotally mounted 'enaft whereby they swing "as e unit about a oornnio'n axis to provide lateral movement to -'t-ne blush, a power-driven countersnait, helical gearing between said counters'haft and eah brlish'fordriving the same and permitting lateral adjustment thereof, and adjusting shafts interengageable with said "unit'sa'nd operable to swing the same to "selected positions.

2. in a machine for cleaning-plates by means of rotary-brushes, means for feeding the plate to said brushes comprising a air of feed rolls adapted lac-engage a plate therebetween, each of sai'd'feed rolls belne'mounted ln-a pair of swinga'ble arms,-a pair of interconnected drive shafts, said swingable arms being rotatably supported on sal'd 'drl've shafts, connecting gearing between respective drive shafts and rolls, and resilient mean-s 'forurging the-pairsof swingable arms toward each-other.

In a machine for simultaneously cleaning opposite sides of plates by means ofoppositely positioned rbtaly brushes, the longitudinal axes of which are substantially Vertical means for simultaneously driving said brushes while permitting lateral adjustmentthere'of comprising a,

s substantially horizontally mounted *power drlvmounted thereon, helical drlven'gears 'lnte'r'meshing wltn'said-plnlons, each such driven'gea'r being mounted on a respective rotary brush to provide rotery'motion thereto and having its longifildlfial a xis subtafitilly vertical, the helical,

driving pihions beine longer axially than the helical driven gears to permitmovement of said helical drlvenee'ars with respect to "said driving pinio'ris to accomplish said lateral adjustment of said rolls and brushes. n

C. JOHNSON.

.REFERENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file of "this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

